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4 tomatoes, finely chopped
bunch of coriander, finely chopped
1–3 fresh green chillies, finely chopped
2 large avocados
salt and freshly ground black pepper
tortilla chips, to serve
Mix the tomatoes and coriander together in a bowl. Add a little of the chopped chillies.
Just before serving, remove the peel and stone from each avocado, cut the flesh into rough chunks and add to the bowl. Mash the avocado pieces with the tomato mixture to make a creamy, chunky dip.
Taste and add more chilli gradually, until it’s as you like it, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve within 30–60 minutes.
Haricot bean and garlic spread
This is great in sandwiches or on savoury biscuits. The basic mixture can be varied in a number of ways.
SERVES 4
125g (4 oz) dried haricot beans, soaked (#litres_trial_promo) and cooked until tender, then cooled, or 400g can, rinsed and drained
25g (1oz) butter, softened
1 garlic clove, crushed
a few drops of lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Mash the beans to a smooth paste with a fork, then gradually blend in the butter, garlic and lemon juice. Season well with salt and pepper.
VARIATION
Haricot bean and fresh herb spread
Instead of the garlic add 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley.
Haricot bean and olive spread
Make as described, adding six black olives, pitted and finely chopped or mashed, or 2–3 teaspoons of vegetarian tapenade (#ulink_f28c1287-a098-5c43-a917-83cc38555e01).
Haricot bean and sundried tomato and basil spread
Make as described and stir in six sun-dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped, or 2–3 teaspoons sun-dried tomato purée, and 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh basil.
Hazel nut and cream cheese pâté loaf
This easy-to-make loaf may sound unusual but guests who try it always ask for the recipe. Serve it with fresh salad, or in slices as a first course.
SERVES 4–6
50g (2oz) dried breadcrumbs (#litres_trial_promo), for coating
250g (9oz) ricotta
125g (4oz) hazel nuts roasted (#litres_trial_promo)
juice and grated rind of ½ lemon
2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper
a pinch of paprika
crisp lettuce leaves, slices of tomato or cucumber, grated carrot, sprigs of watercress, to serve
Cut a large square of greaseproof paper and sprinkle the breadcrumbs over.
Put the ricotta, hazel nuts, lemon juice and rind and parsley into a bowl and mix until well combined. Add salt and pepper to taste and 1 or 2 pinches of paprika.
Turn the cream cheese mixture onto the paper on top of the breadcrumbs. Use the paper to form it into a roll, coating it completely with the crumbs.
Leave the roll in the paper and place in the fridge to chill for several hours.
To serve, unwrap the roll and discard the paper. Place on a bed of lettuce and surround with sliced tomato, cucumber, grated carrot, watercress or anything else you fancy. Alternatively, serve in slices on individual plates, on a pool of chilled tomato sauce (#ulink_0a661fbf-5fef-58c2-90ba-70dfb16d5d68).
Hummus v
Homemade hummus is much better than the shop-bought versions. You can make it exactly to your taste and if you keep the ingredients in stock, you can whiz some up in moments any time you fancy it.
SERVES 4–6
200g (7oz) dried chickpeas, soaked and cooked or 2 x 400g cans
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1–3 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
TO GARNISH
extra olive oil, for drizzling
sprinkling of paprika
lemon wedges
handful of black olives
Drain the chickpeas, reserving the liquid. Blend the chickpeas with the garlic, oil and tahini, starting with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and 250ml (8–9fl oz) of the liquid, to make a purée roughly the consistency of lightly whipped cream.
Taste, adding more tahini if you want a more intense flavour. Season with salt and pepper.
Put the hummus into a large shallow dish, drizzle over some olive oil, sprinkle with paprika and garnish with lemon wedges and black olives.
VARIATION
Red pepper hummus
Make as described, using 1 tablespoon of tahini and 2–4 roasted red peppers from a jar. Blend everything together before adding any liquid, because the red peppers add moisture to the mixture. Flavour with 1–2 pinches of paprika and a drop of Tabasco sauce if you want to make it hotter.
Lentil and mushroom pâté
The earthy flavour of both lentils and mushrooms combines to make this satisfying pâté. It can be served piled up on salad leaves or packed into a pâté dish, with some crackers or melba toast (#ulink_ee5c6413-0af6-5108-ba31-6cb0303ae480).
SERVES 2 AS A MAIN MEAL, 4 AS A STARTER
125g (4oz) dried green lentils or 400g can
50g (2oz) button mushrooms
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2–4 tsp lemon juice
If you’re using dried lentils, cook them in plenty of water until they’re very tender, about 45–50 minutes, then drain. If using canned lentils, simply drain and rinse.
Wipe the mushrooms and chop them up fairly finely.
Heat the oil in a small saucepan and fry the mushrooms and garlic for 2–3 minutes, then remove them from the heat and mix in the lentils and parsley.
Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Chill before serving.
Lentil and tomato spread
Quick-cooking split red lentils are used for this spread. It tastes great in sandwiches with some raw onion, chutney or sliced tomato.
SERVES 4
125g (4oz) split red lentils
200ml (7fl oz) water
25g (1oz) butter, softened
1 tbsp tomato purée
a few drops of lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cook the lentils in the water for 20–30 minutes or until they’re tender and there’s no water left. Leave to cool.
Mash the butter, tomato purée, lemon juice and some salt and black pepper into the cooked lentils. Beat well with a spoon to make a smooth pâté.
VARIATION
Lentil and chive spread
Make this as described but leaving out the tomato purée and adding 1–2 tablespoons of chopped chives instead.
Lentil and parsley spread
Make as described, leaving out the tomato purée and adding 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley. One or two finely chopped spring onions go well in this, too.
Mushroom pâté
This flavoursome pâté makes an excellent starter. Try it with some croûtes or breadsticks.
SERVES 4
15g (oz) dried porcini mushrooms
450g (1lb) mushrooms
1 garlic clove, peeled
2–4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
25g (1oz) butter or 2 tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
